I luckily got into anime right on the verge where it became more socially acceptable (late 90s early 2000s). Also, I grew up in an area where the dominant local culture was more accepting of anime since Dragon Ball Z, Gundam (of some flavor), and Saint Seya were all localized into Spanish and popular with my age group.

The more off the beaten path animes like NGE, Hellsing, etc. didn't become as popular until a few years later when I hit high-school.